Disclaimer: I own Lucy, Jude, and Sadie, but that's it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is AU, Lilah and Wesley are married. . .well, separated, and their three kids are trying to get them back together before their parents get a divorce. Will they be able to do it? It's going to be short, only four or five chapters. Oh, and bonus points for anyone who can guess how I named the kids and the story. Lots of bonus points!

Running into the house, with his older sister in tow, Jude clutched the diary in his hand, and looked over his shoulder to see if she was gaining on him. Suddenly hitting something hard, and falling to the floor, the boy looked up to see a man in his late thirties looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

Offering his son his hand, Wesley lifted the boy off the ground just as Lucy caught up, and grabbed her diary, smacking her brother with it on the back of the head.

"Stupid Jude, you're so immature."

"Hey, hey, hey! Lucy, don't call your brother stupid, and Jude, what have I told you about taking Lucy's diary?"

"It was fun when I did it, but there'd be consequences later."

"Exactly. Now, go sit in my office, until your mother gets here."

"That could be forever, though, Daddy!"

"Jude."

"Yes sir."

Disappearing into his father's office, Jude paused for a moment and stuck his tongue out at his sister.

"I saw that."

Putting on a startled face, Jude left the two alone in the hallway. Wrapping an arm around his eldest daughter, Wesley smiled down to her.

"Now, Lucy, what have a told you about getting in fights with your brother?"

"He started it, Daddy!"

"I know, I know, love, but he's seven, he's immature, and he'll, unfortunately, be this way for a few more years, believe me, it's the nature of boys, but then, your brother will discover girls, and that will be a time when you will enjoy picking on him, so, save your energy."

"You mean it?"

"Of course, love. Now, where's Sadie?"

"The last I saw, she was in her room playing with Cassie."

"Alright. I'm going to go check on her. You're packed, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay, just wanted to make sure. God, I wish we could spend Christmas together, but you know, I'm sure your mother wishes the same. Next Christmas, perhaps. Now, be good, and stay away from you brother."

"Yes sir."

Smiling, and positive he would have to break those two up again before Lilah arrived, Wesley went upstairs to his baby girl's room, and found her sitting on the floor, playing with the baby doll everyone in the house called Cassie for no apparent reason other than Jude had come up with the name. Sitting down on her bed, and running his hand through he light brown hair, Wesley lifted her into his lap.

"Are you having fun little love?"

The little girl nodded and rested her head on her father's shoulder.

"You're packed, right? Mummy's going to be here soon."

The little girl nodded again, and Wesley smiled, kissing her forehead and lifting her into his arms. Yelling from downstairs floated to the top landing as Wes prepared to carry his baby girl down the first flight.

"Oh no, those two are at it again."

Carrying Sadie downstairs, Wesley placed the four-year-old on a chair in his office, and pried Jude and Lucy apart, keeping his son on one side, and his daughter on the other.

"Now what was I just telling you two? For God sake, it's Christmas Eve, and Lucy, you're ten, you know better, and Jude, you're. . .well, you still know better, and I should thrash you both!"

Both children recoiled even though they both knew Daddy's thrashing threats were empty. Just then, the doorbell rang and the two elder children went racing for the door, and little Sadie took her father's hand.

When Wesley got in the hall, Lucy and Jude had already let Lilah in and were greeting her with big hugs.

"Mummy!"

"Okay, okay, you two, Mummy needs some breathing room, where's my Sadie?"

Letting go of her father's hand, Sadie ran to her mother's arms, and Lilah scooped her up. Wesley knew Lilah had a soft spot for the kids, Sadie the most though because of her condition, the poor child hadn't said a word yet, and at her age, it concerned her parents.

Of course, he also knew she had soft spots for the other two children. Remembering long nights when she made him stay up with her while she nursed the kids in their nursery, and she sat on his lap in the rocker, whispering sweet things to the baby in her arms, whether it be Lucy, Jude, or Sadie, and every now and then, she would lean down for a soft kiss from him.

Those days had faded though, and now they were separated and on the edge of a divorce, which he knew hurt the kids, but it was better than listening to them scream at one another all day and night things the kids didn't understand.

"Well, say goodbye to your father, we have to go now if we want to get to Paris before day break."

"We're going to Paris for Christmas?"

"We always do, Jude, you know that. Now, go get your bags."

As the three children went rushing upstairs, Wesley halted them.

"Not so fast, Lilah, you and I both know that I have the kids until eight tonight. They haven't even eaten supper yet."

Rolling her eyes, and placing her hands on her hips, Lilah looked ready to get argue with Wesley, and all three children knew it. Averting disaster, Lucy took Sadie's hand and ran past her parents into the dining room.

"Fine, then."

Brushing past Wesley, Lilah followed her daughters into the dining room, and left Wesley and Jude in the hall.

"Coming, my boy?"

"I have go to the bathroom first."

"Okay."

Hurrying upstairs, Jude, went to the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. He hated when his parents fought. Lucy and Sadie never seemed to care, so he followed their lead, but he couldn't conceal it when he was alone. He hated how they fought, and almost every night, he cried about it in bed after his father or mother tucked him in. Sadie had caught him a few times, but of course, never said anything.

Running water and splashing it on his face so he could mask how upset he was, Jude dried off and went back downstairs. Passing the front door, he looked out the window and saw his mother's car, her new car she bought after she and his daddy had split up and began living in different homes. He hated that car. He liked the silver Bentley his father bought for her more, but that remained in the garage, where it had been sitting since Mummy stormed out of the manor two years ago.

Hearing the dinner conversation had already begun, Jude took a step towards the dining room, and then, an idea struck him. If Mummy didn't have a car to drive in, she wouldn't be able to leave. No, I'll get in serious trouble for that, he thought, but his family would be together, just for one night at least.

Opening the front door, he surveyed the car for a moment, and then bent down and looked at the tire, there was a cap, he would just take those off. Spinning it off, he heard the hish of the air coming out. Knowing there was a spare in the trunk, he went to the next tire, and let the air out of it too.

She won't be going anywhere tonight, he thought. Of course, Daddy had cars, six to be exact. All for different purposes, but all capable of taking them to the airport to go to Paris. Running to the garage, he found the door in the dark, and opened it, slowly.

Moving from car to car, silently, Jude released the air out of all the tires on all six cars.

"There."

"Jude! Jude, where are you?"

Quickly getting up out of his crouching position, Jude ran and tripped over an oil can that had been left laying on the garage floor, hitting his head, hard on the concrete. Biting back what would have been wails for his parents to come and give him some tender love and care, he instead stood and brushed off his pants and sweater, all the while feeling the blood trickle does his head.

Rushing into the house, but avoiding his searching family members, Jude snuck upstairs and sat on his bed, then, released the cries that had been wanting to get out of him for the last minute and a half.

"MUMMY! DADDY!"

Rushing upstairs, Lilah found Wesley already in the room, withdrawing his handkerchief and dabbing at Jude's head.

"Oh, Jude, how did this happen?"

"I. . .ran into. . .a wall!"

"You ran into a wall?"

"Uh-huh. Make. . .it stop hurting. . .Daddy."

Lifting Jude into his strong arms, Wesley carried him into the bathroom, and sat him on the sink, Lilah followed and ran some warm water onto a washcloth, then dabbed at her baby's head. All while Jude bawled. Soon, his cries drew Lucy and Sadie into the bathroom.

"What happened to Jude?"

"He says he ran into a wall, sweetheart, why don't you two go finish eating dinner?"

Closing the bathroom door, Wesley turned to the medicine cabinet, and took out a first aid box.

"How deep is it?"

"He needs stitches."

This caused Jude to cry harder, but Wesley threaded the needle, and turned to his son. Lilah, however, pushed him away and grabbed some painkillers from the box, and then filled a plastic cup with water.

"You're always too damn rough with him, Wesley, he's not a toy, you know? Come on, Jude, sweetheart."

Crying and excepting the water and pills, Jude calmed down enough for his father to sew the wound closed and cover it with white gaze. Lilah watched as he did this, making sure he didn't hurt their baby, and the second he was done, she lifted Jude into her arms, and cradled him.

"My poor baby boy."

Settling down, Jude allowed his mother to hold him. Wesley watched from the doorway, and almost found himself smiling. This reminded him of when Jude ate too many Christmas biscuits when he was very young and he and Lilah has stayed up and nursed him through the stomach ache.

Seeing Wesley looking at her with that amused look on his face, Lilah stood allowing Jude to lay his head on her shoulder, and picking up his bag.

"It's eight already. We'd better go."

Sudden distress hitting Jude, he looked up at his mother.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, Jude, you know that. Say goodbye to your father."

Handing Jude to Wesley, who hugged his son, and kissed his cheek, Liliah went into Lucy's room to find Sadie and Lucy sitting on the floor.

"We're leaving now, get your bags and say goodbye to your father."

"Alright."

Both girls wrapped their arms around their father, who kissed their foreheads, and gave them a one-armed hug, for he was still holding Jude. Carrying Jude and Sadie downstairs, Wesley could see that Lilah was already outside.

Walking out to put the kids in the car, he was greeted by a fuming Lilah. Turning to them, he could see that she was ready to blow.

"Who did this?"

"What?"

"My tires."

Looking at her tires, he could see that two were flat.

"That's okay, you can take one of my cars."

"You mean, our cars."

"Yes, that is what I probably meant."

Laying his head on his father's shoulder and getting comfortable with the musty scent of his cologne, Jude smiled to himself. They weren't going anywhere, and he wasn't going to be caught.

Opening the garage door, Wesley flicked on the lights, and looked around. All of his cars had flat tires.

"Holy mother of God."

"Dammit."

Looking around the garage, he found an oil can he had been putting in his Mercedes had been tipped over, and a little ways away, there was a red stain.

"Hm. . .a tipped oil can, and a patch of blood, oh, I'd say four feet three inches aways from it. I wonder who could have done that."

Lifting Jude off his shoulder, Wesley held his son out in front of him.

"Jude, how could you?"

"Is Mummy staying?"

Sighing, Wesley and Lilah looked at each other, and then, a look of pure horror crossed their faces.

"Oh God!"

"That's a yes."

Lucy took Sadie's hand and smiled, this was wonderful. She would have to congratulate her little brother on a wonderful job done later, and help him out with his chores, he would surely get for being bad.